Once again, I’m delighted that IIeX Europe is running a New Speakers Track featuring people who have never spoken at a conference before. Leading up to the conference, we’re introducing some of the speakers and hearing what they have to say about this opportunity!

Why have you never spoken at a conference before? Not sure! Always had a boss before I guess…

Why did you decide to speak at IIeX Europe? Had written with some of the Greenbook authors before so knew about the conference. The focus on innovation is key.

What are you looking forward to the most about IIeX Europe? Meeting loads of interesting people!

What do you hope to learn from this event? A good perspective on the pace of change in the industry – are we moving quickly enough?

The Kid in the Corner3:00pm – 3:20pm Feb 19
While clients are becoming increasingly data-driven, the market research as a whole is not experiencing significant growth. This presentation will argue that a major factor behind this is the rise of data ecosystems and the inability of many research approaches to connect into those ecosystems and add value.
My presentation will deliver:

An understanding of the ecosystems that are growing, what they are used for, and how you can integrate into the

Practical explanation of why many research approaches fail to integrate

Recommendations for how the industry should be adapting to this challenge

In the past, it’s been easy to be in a support role at IIeX while members of our senior team presented. Time to get out from behind the table! My colleague took the bold step to speak at the IIeX in Amsterdam. That gave me a vision for trying it myself. What a hero (thanks Saida Isamova for leading the way)!Why are you looking forward to speaking at IIeX?

Can I tell you after I’ve done it? Seriously! Actually, my hope would be to get off the stage and have a few meaningful conversations. Knowing that I connected on a topic that’s relevant for others would be a terrific ‘win’.

What worries your about speaking at IIeX?

I’m mainly concerned that my own perspective doesn’t offer enough ‘innovation’ given the esteemed audience. Of course, passing out on the stage is another worry! (I have blacked out before so if I wear a padded helmet, I won’t be laughed at, right?)

What is the most intriguing thing you will discuss in your IIeXtalk?

That there is much to gain from experimenting with unleashing data from organizational siloes and that there is always the option of ‘not doing research at all’.. and that should put a chill up a few spines!

What are you most looking forward to by attending IIeX?

This will be my 4th year attending IIeX in Atlanta and many of the innovations put forward in the conference are always so memorable. I like that this conference broadens my perspective for what is possible in our discipline. It’s easy to get myopic: my company, our clients, these projects, etc. In reality, people are doing innovative things in many areas!

Please join Keri at her session!

Sid, the neighbor kid in Toy Story, cobbled together creepy, mutant toys that functioned, but didn’t look quite right as they were created from mismatched parts. These misshapen outcomes can be likened to the effect of siloes within the market research process, leaving us orphaned data that we try to piece back together into a cohesive whole. So how do we overcome the inefficient, long-standing compartmentalization of steps – obtaining data, collecting data, organizing data and creating /visualizations from that data? Although our industry has been historically slow to disrupt and innovate, adopting new technology can create more impactful outcomes and save time, our most valuable commodity. By taking lessons from other industries and experts within our own, we can start to optimize the process by efficiently wielding the technological advancements that are now available to us – hyper-personalization, automation, machine learning and much more. With the right innovations inside the sandbox, our data can start playing nice in order to take successful action.

-Explore traditional inefficiencies in the market research playground and the risks to quality and outcomes.

-Find out how to wield new technologies and innovations to help data “play nice” for better actions, more quickly.

-Discover how new technology adoption can create a more nimble, proactive market research program.

I’m early on in my career, so I haven’t had the opportunity just yet. During my doctorate, I taught several courses and presented in various contexts, but I haven’t had the chance to present as a professional yet. Now that I’m more settled into both my position and the industry, I felt ready to take on the challenge.

Why are you looking forward to speaking at IIeX?

I’ve been working on Share of Ear for close to two years, and have gotten very familiar with it. I love to talk about it to anyone who will listen, and most of my friends and family are getting tired of hearing about it, so I’m looking forward to a captive audience! I’m excited to focus not only on producing and analyzing data, but on learning how to give a good presentation. I’d love to add this skill to my repertoire.

What worries you about speaking at IIeX?

I haven’t had to do any public speaking since I finished grad school, so I’m nervous about getting back into it—mainly about forgetting something I want to say, losing my place, or not being engaging enough.

What is the most intriguing thing you will discuss in your IIeX talk?

Share of Ear is a study that examines audio listening using an innovative diary methodology. I’ll elaborate on how we capture this data, and some of the most interesting things our clients have done with it.

What are you most looking forward to by attending iiex?

I’ve only attended academic conferences in the past, so I’m looking forward to attending my first conference full of practitioners, and meeting other people working on exciting projects. Academic conferences always energized me and helped me focus on my work, and I am sure that this is no different in the non-academic world.

Please join Kaylee at her session!

Share of Ear® provides new-to-the-world information about how Americans consume audio. While data exists on individual platforms and brands, before Share of Ear®, there was no single source that measured how Americans listen to all audio. Edison Research designed a study that would measure Americans’ time spent with audio. Respondents complete a 24-hour audio-listening diary that allows us to measure how much audio Americans consume in a typical day. It also measures the share of listening to various audio platforms, devices, locations, and audio content. Amanda will share the challenges of developing this new methodology along with some of the study’s most fascinating insights. Edison Research is know for its dynamic video presentations and will deliver data AND a show.

I’ve always wanted to speak at a conference but have never mustered up the energy to submit. I think I’ve just assumed that people who speak at conference are “experts.” While I am technically a “professional” designer, I have yet to feel like I’ve reached “expert” status. I finally decided to the pull trigger and submit after Meghan Nishiyama, the woman who led the connected home project that I worked on, convinced me that I had done enough work in the space to feel confident about having my own voice and presenting on the topic.

Why are you looking forward to speaking at IIeX?

While I work as a designer now, my background is in research so I’m really excited to speak to a research audience about where my two worlds come together. I’m also excited to be part of the conversation about how research can inform the decisions that we make about how new technology can and should impact our lives.

What worries your about speaking at IIeX?

I speak in front of audiences quite regularly at work but speaking in a formal setting at a conference is certainly new territory for me. My biggest fears are that I’ll lose my train of thought, that I won’t come off as relaxed and/or confident, and that I won’t be adding anything new to the conversation. That said, I’m optimistic that with enough practice and feedback, I’ll be confident in my talk come presentation day.

What is the most intriguing thing you will discuss in your IIeX talk?

In my talk, I use the story of how Betty Crocker Cake mix came to be to illustrate the historical complexities of home automation and to identify a few core principles to consider when designing for the connected home industry that takes people’s perceptions and attitudes into consideration.

What are you most looking forward to by attending IIeX?

I love talking with other researchers because I feel like I always end up having existential conversations about the impact of the work that we do. With such a wide range of topics covered at IIeX, I’m excited to hear other people’s stories and see where the conversation can go. I also love how re-energized and inspired I feel after leaving a conference and I’m sure that IIeX will be no different.

Please join Kaylee at her session!

In 2016, we saw an explosion in the connected home space. Largely a good thing for consumers, new competition has made connected home technology more affordable, accessible, and approachable. But, as companies continue to make new products that aren’t compatible or don’t communicate with one another, people are left with a collection of objects that work in isolation and the vision of a seamlessly integrated home experience is left unsatisfied. In this talk, we’ll take a look at:
– How homes have evolved over time to support innovations in home automation
– People’s current attitudes and adoption behaviors for connected home technology
– The key challenges that the industry will face in the next five, ten and fifteen years
– Five key principles to keep in mind when designing for the connected home